Working from home has been the norm for almost a year now; I really didn't think at the start of this that things would go on for as long as they have, but I digress... Today I thought I'd do an old school post for the current times; my morning routine now I work from home.
Honestly, after my time living in Woking, commuting for a good hour each way to work, I realised I really didn't want to lose that time from my day again. So, since then I've really not lived anywhere that's left me with a rubbish commute. However, it still takes some time out of my day, as did getting as 'done up' as I did every day pre-COVID, as did ironing my work clothes etc. I've actually really enjoyed clawing back a bit of time in the morning! Now I'll usually wake up, have my shower and brush my teeth with my beloved Ion-Sei Toothbrush* | £130 | (you don't realise how game-changing a truly luxurious electric toothbrush can be until you've levelled up!) My current in-shower favourite is the Elemental Herbology Lemongrass & Nutmeg Body Wash* | £19 (get 15% off with code JASMINETALKSBEAUTY (affiliate)). This moisturising wash has a sort of deep, spicy, woody scent to it that lingers beautifully on the skin after use. Once I'm out of the shower and I've dried off, I go in with the Jai + Co Syrene Body Butter* | £20. I honestly have the driest skin in the world on my body and winter only makes that worse! I love how this body butter has a light texture that melts down into an almost oil-like feel. You only need a tiny amount of product to provide that deep nourishment and it smells beautiful with ingredients like shea butter, mango butter, apricot oil and avocado oil. Next, I'll do a bit of yoga and mindfulness; throughout January I loved joining in on the daily practices posted by Yoga with Adriene. I really find it helps my energy throughout the day to just get up and go; no snoozing, no procrastinating, just straight in with my yoga! If I don't have time, I'll just do it at lunchtime so I still get in that practice, but staying in bed for more than a couple of minutes after I've woken up generally leaves me feeling really foggy.
The next thing I do is get on with my skincare routine. On the rare occasion I'm popping on some makeup, I'll try to keep my skincare routine streamlined and multitasking. I'll start by splashing my face with lukewarm water and then I'll use the Fresh Kombucha Cleansing Treatment* | £36 | on a reusable pad. This is a lovely product I've really been enjoying so far; it's that perfect non-stripping morning cleanse step. I don't do foam, I usually wake up with quite tight, dry skin and I want to get rid of any surface ickiness without irritating my skin or further drying it out. This works really well for me, as it's a leave-on style product formulated with kombucha and different fermented extracts. There's hyaluronic acid in there to draw water into the skin and also prebiotics, which help promote a healthy skin barrier. After this, I go straight in with the Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Repair Mist | £57. I know it's very expensive and I've been quite critical of the pricing when it comes to this brand, but the face mist may have changed my mind... it's formulated without humectants, because (for reasons discussed in this post) they aren't always the best in mists. Instead, this has a heavier texture, making it more like a serum-mist. It contains aloe and rosewater for hydration, fruit extracts for their antioxidant benefits, as well as probiotics (again, for the skin barrier) and niacinamide (another great one for the skin barrier, that can also calm redness and balance oil production in the skin). It feels beautiful and it provides soothing hydration that really lasts; the slightly thicker texture means it can work as a serum-mist.
The next step in my routine is the SVR Ampoule Protect Vitamin E Shield SPF 30* | £33 | which combines the magic of sunscreen and antioxidants, to really protect the skin. This comes in a face oil format, which makes it perfect for winter days indoors. UVA rays (the ones that cause premature ageing) can penetrate windows and are pretty consistent throughout the year, so I like to keep a degree of protection on my skin regardless of the time of year. Having said that; I appreciate this is an oil and I may not be applying enough to fully benefit from the advertised protection, but it works for me at the moment; it's non-greasy, moisturising and has both the replenishing Vitamin E and the sunscreen in one step. To finish off, I like to use my U Beauty Super Smart Hydrator* | £65. This is a powerhouse 'moisturiser' that contains so many amazing actives that it really can be considered a serum step too. You have moisturisers like shea butter and avocado oil, hyaluronic acid to pull in that moisture, then you also have peptides to plump and hydrate the skin and a Vitamin C derivative to brighten. It has a gorgeous finish, really giving my skin a glow and bringing it back to life.
Moving onto makeup (which I only wear about once a week, to be honest); what an idiot! I totally missed it from my photo but my go-to complexion product (on about the one day a week I wear makeup) has to be my beloved Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser (St. Moritz) | £31 | full review. For me, it's a perfect 'my skin but better' product that evens out my skin tone whilst still looking very natural. For a day at home, I only use a tiny little bit, sheering it out with a damp makeup sponge. It's just endlessly flattering! If I want to freshen up my eye area or conceal a spot then I'll use my fingers to pat a little bit of the Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer (Ginger) | £24 | full review | wherever I need it. It does the job but has a very natural finish. My go-to two-second setting powder is the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Pressed Powder (Medium) | £35 | full review. It's very finely-milled so never looks heavy or cakey and just sets the under eyes and t-zone nicely.
For a little cheek definition, one of my favourites at the moment is the Kosas Colour + Light Creme in Tropic Equinox Intense | £32. There's a warm gold highlighter and then a warm tan cheek colour, that also adds definition. I just dab these on with my fingers and it takes approximately 10 seconds. Then, for some moisture and a hint of colour on my lips, I like the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Spice | £19.50. I love this warm rosy brown wash of colour and it really helps my dry winter lips.
If I want a little something on my eyes, the Nudestix Magnetic Matte Eye Colour in Terra | £20 | full review | works really nicely. It's a creamy matte warm mid-brown tone that's nice and long wearing; it can be used to naturally define the eyes if you just swipe it on, blend out the edges and use it across the lower lashline. I can leave it at that, or I can use a bit of the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Vivid Smoky Quartz | £16. It's long-wearing but applies smoothly before it sets down. This is a warm, deep brown that more natural and less harsh than black, but still gives that definition. If I want to run a little something through my brows, the Milk Makeup Kush Fibre Brow Gel (Grind) | £21 | is perfect for adding some colour, hold and volume in a subtle way. To finish off, a little bit of the Saie Mascara 101* (exclusive to Cult Beauty) | £21 | is perfect on the lashes. It separates, it lengthens, it gives a nice bit of volume and it doesn't smudge on me at all!
After this, I'll usually make myself a breakfast smoothie with a banana, oats, a spoonful of nut butter, some oat milk and a couple of ice cubes in the Nutribullet. I'll usually add a little bit of agave syrup too, and how much depends on how ripe the banana is. It's a really great energy-booster in the morning and kick-starts my metabolism. Personally, I do suffer sometimes with my digestion and eating something heavy first thing in the morning really doesn't work for me; this puts something in my stomach without being too much and allows me to take my vitamins. I choose not to recommend specific vitamins on my blog or socials, because it's such a personal thing! For example, most Vitamin D supplements contain 1,000 IU but one of my friends recently went to her GP and was told to use a supplement containing 10,000, so it really does depend and it's worth discussing with your doctor to figure out your individual needs. I take a daily multivitamin and also a Vitamin D supplement, because it's winter, we're spending a lot of time indoors and additionally, caucasian skin is adapted to absorb Vitamin D more effectively, so if you're a Person of Colour living in Northern Europe; you probably should be supplementing. After that, I get myself a coffee (caffeine and red wine are my vices, what can I say?) and start going through my emails and planning my day before my phone starts going...
What does your morning routine look like these days?
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